The control of measurable resources such as power, and in particular artificial light, is important for many reasons including ergonomic and ecological ones as well as energy and cost savings. Different approaches and control systems have been around for many years. A control system can be as simple as a single alternating current (AC) general purpose snap switch or as complex as centralized or decentralized overall energy management system. Complex integrated building management systems have their place by being able to offer advanced features such as internet and wireless access, utility interface for load shedding, messaging to issue maintenance alerts, and secure two-way communication to each device using a wide variety of communications methods such as low voltage control wiring, power line carrier communication, and any of a myriad of wireless connections.
A “specifier” typically is an engineer that determines which components in a system are used, how they are used, how they are interconnected, how much power both individual components and the overall system may draw, etc. A current trend in order to reduce or at least contain electrical energy costs, in particular for commercial properties, is to have a complex system or even a sophisticated computer or controller-based power control system potentially also tied directly into a utility. This trend leads specifiers to define a system with an increasingly higher level of control, which minimizes or eliminates the possibility of a person/user, for example in a space, an office or a laboratory (lab), having any input or influence on how the power including light sources, light levels, as well as other types of power usage.
Generally speaking, in an existing control system a specifier designing a lighting system with a plurality of zones of control would define the required lighting for a particular application (e.g., a space, a classroom, a lab, an office, an open office area, etc.), and also determine the maximum power allocated for the various types of lighting within the application (e.g., direct lighting, indirect lighting, task lighting, wall wash, plug load, etc.), with the sum of the amount of power allocated for each type being no more than the total power allowed for the particular application. Unfortunately, an end user is not allowed to increase the amount of power allocated to a particular zone beyond the amount initially allocated or defined by the specifier for the various types of lighting within the application even if it would make the work area more conducive to the particular user. Even if one or more particular zones were turned off, the power allocated for those zones would not be allowed to be reallocated to the remaining active/functional zones.
Therefore many times a user will not be allowed to get enough of a particular type of light in a particular zone to meet the user's needs/expectations (this may also be due to particular energy codes). For example, local, state, federal or client regulations commonly mandate a maximum wattage-per-square-foot for all of the lighting. The building design team is responsible for determining a division of this energy, often starting with critical, common areas such as circulation, building identification, and public spaces followed by the individual task areas of the workers. The trends are for the perpetual lowering of the overall wattage-per-square-foot. An example of where this becomes problematic is in a laboratory, where there is a large number of individual researchers with varying levels of lighting need based on varying levels of criticality of their experiments. Historical design guidelines were for an illuminance level of 100 footcandles on the workbenches. In contemporary design, because of the overall building limitations and shared-space needs of the building, it is more common to only be able to provide 50-70 footcandles or to intentionally not satisfy some of the shared building needs such as uncomfortably low lighting in corridors and support spaces.
It would be highly desirable to have a measurable resource control system with a plurality of zones that allowed a user the flexibility and control to adjust the level of a zone even to the maximum physically allowed for that particular zone as long as total power consumed remains within the overall/total maximum allowable limit and without impacting factors such as the safety of others.
It would also be desirable if the control system is applicable to any measurable resource and scalable as to the type and number of zones, and also scalable to be nested to allow multiple levels of a similar type of flexible control.
It also would be highly desirable to have a control system that provides functionality that meets the basic needs of the occupants, while meeting all required safety codes and regulations, such as but not limited to Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) and the National Electrical Code (NEC), as well as industry standard requirements such as the Commission for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
It is therefore an object of the invention to enhance the measurable resource, and especially the power and particularly lighting control art.
It is another object of the invention to provide a measurable resource control system comprising a plurality of zones that allows a user the flexibility and control to adjust the level of a zone even to the maximum physically allowed for that particular zone as long as total measurable resource consumed remains within the overall maximum allowable limit and without impacting factors such as the safety of others.
It is another object of the invention to provide a control system applicable to any measurable resource, scalable as to the type and number of zones, and also scalable enough to be nested to allow multiple levels of control.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a control system solution that is easy to use, relatively simple to install, and can be implemented as the basis for a standalone system, or be implemented as a control program in a more complex management control system.